EDUC 6715 Reflection

I can honestly say that I feel a little more prepared to uncover emerging technologies after this course. The biggest issue that I had was finding resources that were useful in locating the new ideas. It is important to filter the technologies that emerge however. During this course I had the chance to hone my stances on some key areas. I cannot say that my mind was changed throughout this course but the arguments are much more concise now. Some technologies like Second Life and others like it really don’t have a place in the classroom. This course has helped me refine my arguments against teachers that rush into technology adoption without pausing to understand the reasons behind the inclusion.
Moving forward my goal is to remain a consumer of new ideas. As each new technology emerges and applications become available I will be better equipped to analysis its use and critically support or refute its adoption. From a leadership point of view I do not feel that there will be much of a change. I still feel that one of the best ways of leading others is to demonstrate proper use and highlight the successes. Using positive peer pressure can then move people in the right direction.


PB

Impact of Online Learning

Online Learning Management Systems on Prezi

EDUC 6714 Reflection

I am always on the lookout for new technologies that beneift my students. Throughout this course and others resources like mywebspiration have been presented. It is my intent to spend more time looking at resources like this once the Master's program is finished this summer. I have already incorporated some technologies into the curriculum that have good results. For these resources I want to develop more interesting uses and generally work on the process of incorporating them. I have been looking at some new ideas that colleagues of mine have presented recently and I intend to develop their use more. The overall intent is to create projects that allow for student choice and free exploration. Once these projects have been developed I will focus on methods of day-to-day uses and applications.

On an immediate basis I am going to use my student's blog assignment to gauge interest in new topics. By having students express prior knowledge and inquiries about material before we begin the study I will be able to tailor the lessons to the students specific skills and desires. At the beginning of the next school year I will incorporate a student response system to ascertain prior knowledge in a more subjective manner. Overall these responses will lead me into creating lessons and projects that are aligned with specific students in mind.

Phil Bonus

6713 Reflection

The GAME Plan that was developed towards the beginning of this course shows promise. Unfortunately the bulk of the plan is to occur after this course ends. Therefore I have not had much progress or room for reflection during the course. As the majority of the steps commence I expect to have a decent level of growth in instructional ideas. I am not sure that the plan will revolutionize my teaching but any growth is beneficial. The process of the GAME Plan is not a new one. Even though there are fancy new names and terms it is still an action plan. Honestly I feel that I have an appropriate level of technology integration in my course. I have included many units that have webquests as major activities, a few wiki page creation projects, and consistent blog posts. There were not that many ideas that I have not come across before. The one that was new (digital storytelling) does not necessarily inspire me to immediately include it in the near future. I honestly am not sure that this method will lead to greater retention or mastery of concepts. I should correct that. I am not sure that this method is superior to more non-technological methods.

Students Making a GAME Plan?

The first thing that I though of when the GAME Plan was introduced at the beginning of the course was that it was a glorified goal setting approach. We were to develop a goal and the steps needed to fulfill this goal. The author just came up with a fancy way of saying what we already knew how to do. I can't say that I am surprised. Educational theorists have been regurgitating the same ideas under new names for years. Goal setting is not a new concept for our students. What might be new is having the students actively involved in the formation of the goal. This can pose a tremendous challenge. It is hard for high school students, let alone elementary students, to recognize weaknesses and needs to have to be developed. This is a challenge for items in which they are actually interested in. Attempting to have students create goals and action plans based on technological needs can be truly daunting. While students enjoy technology and use it more than any other generation learning about it and developing skills with it is a completely different task. It also requires that the teacher instills within their students that these technological standards are truly necessary for their success. This is were I struggle with. After reading the NETS-T and NETS-S standards I have to say that I don't completely agree that these concepts are truly needed to ensure success. Furthermore I don't completely agree that these skills need to be taught during a social studies class. Teaching these skills and concepts needs to happen in specific computer courses and solidified during content area classes. I can honestly say that I have struggled with the motivation to conitnue through the GAME Plan process. At this point I am skeptical that my students will remain focused and motivated through the process. Goal setting and action planning is not new to our students, no matter what name we give it. Trying to force one particular process I feel is inappropriate. One size does not fit all in education. Since the basis of establishing goals and completing steps to attain the goal are in place (and have been for years) all we really need to do is be more mindful of creating goals that may have a technological application. In the end, I honestly cannot see my students choosing a technology standard that they want to develop, establish a plan of action, carry that action plan out, and eventually reflect on their success. I have struggled with this, why would I expect my students to do so.

Honest Assessments

I've mentioned it before, there is nothing to add to the actual GAME plan that was proposed in previous weeks. I am still awaiting the next step to occur (something that is out of my control). For this specific plan there is nothing to add, I can't say that I have incorporated anything into my lessons, and I have not refined my plan because nothing has happened to spur the changes.

When looking at a broader plan of earning the Master's degree I can probably add a little more insight. I have added elements like wikis into instructor. I have attempted to bring online discussions and blog posts with mixed results. I am still striving to bring more manageable technology into my lessons. I have taken as a goal to remove assignments that are percieved as busy work and trying to replace them with assignements that utilize technology. Hopefully these assignments will expose students to new resources and techniques of information collection and dissemination. This is largely going to be completed as I regularly review lessons and seek to enhance my instruction.

Further Review, Already?

The evaluation process of the GAME plan established a few weeks ago is at standstill. It has been for a few weeks now. While some plans require constant action and revision others work at a more predictable, albeit a slower, pace. For the personal plan that I have created it is actually inappropriate to have weekly updates since I require collaboration with colleagues in a forum that is not scheduled to begin yet. I have created all necessary steps to ensure that the plan will commence without flaw once the professional development sessions commence.

Since the framework has been established and I am waiting the second portion of the plan to begin there is nothing more to change or add at this point. Constant updates and revisions are unnecessary for this reason.

PB